Enhanced Productivity

• Speed increase: Newtek Aura 2.5 includes more MMX optimizations, new wrapping algorithm, faster file import and new cache frames system!
• New proxy preview: Previous preview modes where either real-time (depending on the computer's speed) or file render. Now project frames are cached and saved while you work! Only the modified cached frames are re-rendered which means faster and more accurate previews.
• New dynamic playback: Previews are played back inside the project window. No additional windows are needed! Previews are scalable (full screen, zoom to the region of interest) during playback. New playback options include continuous loop, region selected and variable frame rates without any re-render!
• New remote control panel: New Remote control panel allows you to scrub along the entire time line project without changing layers.

Better Video Integration

• I/O support enhanced: New DirectShow implementation allows importing all video files format read by DirectShow. Import Macromedia Flash (SWF) directly into a layer (QuickTime required). Alpha channel support has been improved with 5 different alpha modes (Import and Export) such as Pre-Multiply and Non Pre-Multiply for better software connectivity.
• Video hardware support enhanced: Direct support of Newtek VideoToaster, DPS Reality, Velocity, Hollywood, Perception, PAR, Matrox DigiSuite LE, LX, DTV and Classic and all WDM video hardware such as Web cam, Digital Camera and OHCI DV cards. New video device engine allows frames capture within Aura for Stop Motion animations and Frames Store.
• New Aura Vision: New DirectDraw implementation allows for fast previews inside the project, but above all to display the project over live video!
• Improved Display Devices support: Scalable Output preview on video monitor during paint sessions and playback, built-in keyer for stand-alone video paint workstation.

More Functionality

• New functions: Including project rotation upon all layers, to cut brush or select area without the anti-aliased tools, new scripting commands simplify George scripts, Pixel Track multiple layers including a project's display!
  New filters: Bevel, Center Blur, Directional Blur, Radial Blur, Grain, Glow, Erode, Bloom, Black & White converter, Star Field, Time Code, Background generator and Waveform monitor.

Animated Video Painting
Paint over video, Retouch sequence, Rotoscoping, Stroke Recorder

• Aura Video Paint [2.5] enables instant animation of an unlimited number of video layers, its toolset includes pressure sensitive brushes, shapes and text creation for bringing to life motion graphics, visual effects, animations, cartoons and more.
• Paint with natural media simulation tools like pencil, oil brush and wet brush and integrate paint modes such as Colorize, Grain, Negative and Emboss.
• Keyframe brushes, filters, and layers and make animations of anything or move sequences over time.
• Use brush-wrapping modes to tile, stretch or wrap images and sequences.
• Control paint tool variables such as speed, fade and pressure to add subtlety.
• Undo and re-apply an action with a new tool or setting; unleash your creativity by experimenting easily with changes in color and form. The Light table feature lets you see up to seven previous or future frames-great for cell animation or stop motion video.
• Animate any brush or layer with the Keyframer: change position, rotation and size over time. Add animated variables to brushes and layers like motion blur, opacity and noise. With Stroke Recorder, you can quickly animate handwriting or painting: it records the motion as your brush moves across the screen

Animated Filters

• Keyframer lets you animate filters as well as brushes. Use Keyframer to animate Basic filters like Mosaic, Blur filters, Color and Luma filters, Spare-Related filters such as Bump and Extrude, Special FX filters like Shadow, and Transition filters. Every attribute of all internal Aura filters can be individually keyframed, so you can apply a filter effect over time
• KeyFrame controls give you next key, previous key, create key, delete key and auto key create. So you can specify your keyframes, or you can let the Keyframer do the work for you. Manage the paths you create from Path Manager, where you can invert, rename, smooth or even combine motion paths.

Pixel Tracking
Pixel tracker, Stabilization 1, Wrapper, Export to LightWave

• Pixel Tracker follows an area through an animation and makes a motion path from that data. Set exact coordinates and choose by layer to get accurate tracking of a precise region in your animation. You can track from one to four points of a video region and tracks can be based on RGBA, Red, Green, Blue, luma and saturation. You can even track on a subpixel level for accuracy
• The reverse of motion tracking, Stabilization 1, helps you remove unwanted motion from your video. Stabilize images with handshaking that were created with hand-held cameras.
• The Wrapper changes your perspective on brushes and layers. The four-corner wrapping tool lets you pivot images in 3D; use coordinate pairs to wrap or drag your points-even off the image area.
• Finally, pick any animated filter in Aura and send it to LightWave as a path. Export to LightWave lets you choose any key-framed path and define motion that animates LightWave objects. You control where to set your path in LightWave, the channel that you export from, and you can change the size of the path.

Keyers
Color Keyer, Chroma Keyer, Cross Keyer and Luma Keyer

• Drop colors from images to make blue/greenscreen effects. Chroma Keyer finds the difference between the color hue you want to key and the hue of each pixel in the image. Color Keyer lets you choose by a pixel’s RGB values; you set transparency by computer color standards.
• The Cross Keyer lets you pick multiple colors for keying.
• To set opacity by pixel luminance use the Luma Keyer.
• All Keyers let you control range, saturation and fade so you can add falloff and enhance the realism of your effects.

Real-Time Layering and Preview

• Aura’s 32-bit layers give you a real-time alpha channel. That means you get unlimited layers with transparency and real-time compositing-what you see is what you get and you see it right away
• Load sequences and animations easily and paint on them. Each layer is independent: it can be a still graphic or image sequence. When you are ready to see your work, the real-time preview shows a proxy playback as soon as you hit Play.
• Layers can also be animated. Like the text tool and anim brushes, layers offer Once, Repeat, PingPong and HoldLast.
• Stencil and Animated Stencil layers let you create masks and animated masks, so layered broadcast-style graphics are a snap.

Live Video

• Paint over live motion video. Effects like moving picture-in-picture video, handwriting and painting over video and pixel-tracked filters are simple, and because you see them over live video as you create, you can set your effects exactly where you want them.

Superior Integration
Matrox, DPS, Newtek, LightWave, Quantel, Cineon, SWF

• In Aura, you can import and export the most popular file formats: Quantel VPB, Kodak CINEON, Apple QuickTime, AVI, Flic, Gif, Flyer Clip, RTV, BMP, ILBM, JPEG, PCX, PNG, PSD, SGI, Softimage, SUN Raster, TGA 32, TIFF version 6.
• Aura also integrates easily with industry-standard equipment. Wacom support and Intuos support for ToolsID and Connection lets you build projects with tablets or fingerwheels.
• With the help of Aura plug-ins, you can display your projects on the video output of the following devices: Newtek VideoToaster NT support, Matrox DiGiSuite support (LE & DTV), DPS Reality support (plus PAR, PVR and HollyWood).

- Feature List